Nick Nurse Reveals 76ers Vet He’s ‘Surprisingly Pleased’ With

Nick Nurse has seen a lot of positives out of KJ Martin through the Philadelphia 76ers' first week of practice.

Feb 12, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse reacts during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The 2024-2025 NBA season doesn’t mark the first run in a Philadelphia 76ers uniform for KJ Martin, but the Bahamas trip was his first chance to prep for the new hoops year with Nick Nurse and the Sixers.

Around this time last season, Martin was anticipating a fresh start with the Los Angeles Clippers after spending a few seasons with the Houston Rockets.

The Clippers stint would last just a few games. On Halloween, the Sixers and the Clippers struck a trade, which swapped several players from each side. Martin ended up in the deal, landing with the Sixers on the final season of his contract.

With the Sixers, Martin appeared in 58 games last season. He had a limited role, averaging 12 minutes off the bench. By the time the playoffs rolled around, Martin was on the outside of Nurse’s rotation. At that point, it was fair to question whether Martin would return to the team in free agency or not.

The young veteran could weigh his options back in July, as he became free to speak to any interested suitor. In the end, he landed back with the 76ers.

According to reports, Martin inked a two-year contract. He anticipates making over $15 million during that stint. While many speculate Martin’s contract could be a key trade asset in the future, the Sixers aren’t overlooking the veteran forward.

There is an opportunity for Martin to earn an everyday role in Nurse’s rotation.

So far, he’s on the right path.

“He’s had a really good camp,” Nurse said of Martin last week. “One of the guys that I’ve been pleasantly surprised with.”

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One week of practice and multiple preseason games won’t solidify Martin’s role. Nurse wants to see the veteran forward continue to progress at what he’s already thrived with in the past, but there is also an expectation of Martin expanding his game.

Over the summer, Martin focused heavily on becoming a deep-threat shooter. When he was on the Rockets, most of his production came at the rim. During his final run in Houston, Martin attempted over 75 percent of his field goals within three feet of the basket. After spending the summer working on his shot, Martin leaves Nurse intrigued about his potential improvement.

“He really had a big summer working on his shooting. I guess he reconstructed some things,” Nurse continued. “It looks better. It looks like it’s going in a lot more in the charted stuff that we do. It’s also going in a lot more in the scrimmaging and stuff that we do, too.”

The offseason is going well for Martin so far, but there is a lot to prove.

“There are kind of levels to that. You can make them in the summer, can you make them in the fall, can you make them in the spring, can you make them in the playoffs? We’ll see what level he’s at,” Nurse finished.

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